Writers' Salaries: 2008-2011

[Sylph]

Listen to this: a head writer starting February 2nd (all the other data in this post refer from this date on) gets $17,836 (it used to be $17,233) per week, which means $927,472 (used to be $896,116) per year for a thirty-minute show (eg., Bradley Bell). For a sixty-minute show he gets $32,995 (used to be $31,879) per week, which adds up to $1,715,740 (used to be $1,657,708) per year.

SCRIPT FEES

For each script on which a writer, other than the head writer, performs writing services, such writer will be paid not less than:

1. 30-minute show: $1,722 (used to be $1,672)
2. 60-minute: $3,180 (used to be $3,087)

LONG-TERM STORY PROJECTIONS

The minimum for a long-term story projection (when written by a writer other than the head writer) for a non-prime time serial is:

1. 3 months or less: $15,302 (used to be $14,785)
2. 6 months or less, but more than 3 months or unspecified: $22,953 (used to be $22,177)
3. 12 months or less, but more than 6 months: $30,601 (used to be $29,566).

BREAKDOWNS

The minimum for a daily breakdown of a network non-prime time serial (when written by a writer other than the head writer) is:

1. 30 or less (but more than 15): $959 (used to be $927)
2. 60 or less (but more than 45): $1,076 (used to be $1,739)
3. 90 or less (but more than 60): $1,800 (used to be $2,004).

SCRIPT AND BREAKDOWN EDITING

The minimum for rewriting or polishing a non-prime time serial script or breakdown (when done by a writer other than the head writer) is 30% of the script or breakdown fee.

The original topic can be found here.

[JackPeyton]

NONE of them deserve that much, IMHO

[UKBoi]

Are you kidding me?! Some of them dont even deserve half of that considering the crap they've turned out over the last year. For shows with dual headwriters like AMC, does that mean EACH HW makes that or it gets split between them?

[LeClerc]

I was wondering that as well. It better be split, although even half is too much for Esensten & Brown.

[Sylph]

Bear in mind that these are just minimums. Their agents can negotiate a bigger sum.

[Toups]

I heard Jim Reilly got paid about 10 million a year for being both HW/Consulting Producer for DAYS and PSNS. Best. Deal. Ever. LOL

[JackPeyton]

you mean biggest stupid move on NBC's part?

He doesnt deserve 5 pennies per episode.

[Sylph]

I'm not surprised if the Reilly deal is indeed true. If you add the fees for producing and writing, that's what you get.

But that is such a scary thought, a person that destroyed daytime to get such a fat deal...

[Adam]

It dumb founds me that some of these head writers will be making millions a year for putting out so much garbage. LOL That's where the budget of these shows should be slashed. My god.

The WGA is certainly a good union to be a member of......

Pay check to pay check statements from the likes of Marnie Alburger and such now sound even more ridiculous

[Helena]

Wow! How does one become a writer of a soap opera?

Seriously.

There's a profession I'd like to get into.

[R Sinclair]

Exactly! They were only living paycheck to paycheck because they were spending too damn much before the strike ever happened. A lot of these writers have egos and entitlement issues that need to be regulated.

[Ponz]

How does it work if a show has co-headwriters? Do they split the minimum 50-50 or BOTH receive 32k per week?

[Sylph]

Well, I hope exwriter and Kubla Khan can explain certain things.

[brimike]

You want to see something even scarier?

Check out the PRIME-TIME minimums. They're, like, double and triple this.

Of course, most writers end up unemployed for most of their careers, so it's all about saving money. If you average their yearly income over twenty years, it would probably only be about a hundred thousand. (Not that that's a bad number at all... and I'm not counting writers like JER who got obscene amounts of money... but they're not millionaires, by any means)

[MTSRocks]

WORD. Tone down with the million dollar mansions, designer outfits, luxurious cars, fancy dinners, etc, and start managing your money better. There are people out there who make FAR LESS, and still have to manage how to live paycheck by paycheck.